Grassroots News & Progressive Views

San Diego’s Mayoral Race, Part Three: Sex, Lies and Video Tape

MONDAY

6 Lessons of Heaven’s Gate:

The Koch Brothers

Political suicide is not an acceptable option. There are billionaire puppeteers on the national scene who groomed Carl DeMaio to be their “vehicle,” their instrument for a right-wing takeover of San Diego. The Koch brothers are alter egos of Te and Do…Bo and Peep…The Two…. As they say in my birthplace, fuggedaboudit.

There are big-business/ downtown San Diego interests who believe they can keep Carl DeMaio in check… reined in… serving their interests… doing their bidding. It’s a delusional fantasy. He’s got richer, more powerful masters to please.

There are sincere and good people in San Diego who cry out for meaningful pension reform and mistakenly believe that Carl DeMaio can take them to the “next level.” His message is untrue. His true agenda is not reforming but dismantling public institutions of government. It’s a new-age form of anarchy.

There are voters throughout our city who understand that city government is in deep financial trouble but have no wish to dismantle San Diego by outsourcing city services and privatizing city resources. They don’t share the dog-eat-dog mentality promoted by DeMaio and his mentors.

Judging from unprecedented boos and shouts of “liar” hurled at him at a mayoral debate in Hillcrest earlier this year, as well as from mounting opposition among people who have known and worked alongside Carl DeMaio in the gay community, it’s apparent that DeMaio’s reputation and standing have diminished considerably among people who know him best. How much excess baggage are we willing to tolerate in City Hall?

I’ll say it again: Political suicide is not an acceptable option. This is no ordinary election. What happens in San Diego in this mayoral election will be either a deathblow to our city or the start of a difficult but exciting era of rebuilding. Whichever way it goes, it will be the handwriting on the wall for other major cities around the nation.

Forget Heaven’s Gate. Never mind Hale Bopp. Real history is in the making with this year’s mayoral election in the city of San Diego.

Norma Damashek is a long-time civic activist and past president of San Diego’s League of Women Voters. She publishes her own blog, NumbersRunner.

Norma Damashek is a long-time civic activist who focuses on promoting decision-making that serves the public good. She has spearheaded community-based coalitions and served on city and regional-government task forces and as past president of San Diego’s League of Women Voters. Norma received Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego chapter, 2015 and 2016 Journalism Awards. She opines on her website NumbersRunner.

Comments

Thanks Norma…..The systematic destruction of individual wealth and public assets is a mandate from the 0.1%. It will use both democratic and republican party to achieve their ends. As you report Demaio is no doubt an operative for the elite. Todd Gloria comes from the same cloth as Demaio. He is the “gay friendly-NPR liberal version.” The good cop vs the bad cop. Pepsi vs Coke. He is a nice person, pleasant and has a brain and is much better than Demaio, however is he someone to trust? He appears to be a career politician and recent votes have him supporting the power structure ( Jacobs) over the people (district 3). Meanwhile true discussion of liberation of the individual from government / corporate control is off the table. Filner needs to make a full force campaign against the local power structure. I hope he leads us out of this quagmire of true leadership.

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The Safety Pin

Many Resistance Groups have stood up against the horrible events in Charlottesville and have reacted against the unacceptable response of our President. It is now our turn in North San Diego County to show solidarity with our brothers and sisters in resistance to protest the white supremacist movement.